Tharaka Welfare Programme

Headmaster at Kamatungu School David Makembo

Superintendent minister Rev John Munyua

Welfare officer to be appointed

This project was started in 2002 by a Social Worker with a Women’s Worker, in this very arid area east of Meru District to address the challenges faced particularly by women and children living in rural poverty. Tharaka is designated as a ‘hardship area’ where there is subsistence farming only, with no cash crops because of persistent drought conditions.

Karibuni Trust is supporting 67 children by providing fees, uniforms and food. There are 3 children in Nursery School; 18 in Primary School; 12 in Secondary Boarding School; 11 on vocational training schemes or colleges; 1 at Kenya Medical Training College and 2 at University.  The primary children are at Kamatungu School. The young people at University and Medical College are working very hard and getting excellent grades. It is always a joy to get their e-mails with all their news!

Karibuni Trust has also bought 2 Toggenbach goats for cross-breeding with their local nanny goats to improve the milk yield and help the women towards self-sufficiency. Money was also made available to buy enough nanny goats for each woman to have one. We also buy baskets they have made at 3 times the price that they can get locally, and then sell them at a profit at home for Karibuni Trust. This group of carers needs more support than it has been getting to enable them to progress further. A Local Government survey in 2009 showed that about 75% of the children in the community are judged to be living in extreme poverty.

The future development of the project is still under consideration and discussion. Three new sponsored children are taken into the Nursery class each year. All these children will be sponsored right through school.

Karibuni Trust agreed to purchase 1 acre of land near to Marimanti to develop the women’s goat project to increase their opportunities for self-support. This has not happened and the land is apparently unused, and the future use is still being discussed.  A new welfare officer will be appointed this year